1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic playing apparatus which has playing information storage means which has stored therein playing information including first tune information and a plurality of piece of second tune information related thereto, and playing information readout means whereby the playing information is read out from the playing information storage means in such an order that the first tune information is followed by one of the plurality of piece of second tune information.
2. Prior Art
In Japanese Pat. Pub. Disc. Gazette No. 177592/1989 there is disclosed an automatic playing apparatus which includes playing information storage means which has stored therein playing information composed of first tune information and a plurality of pieces of second tune information related thereto, playing information readout means whereby the playing information is read out from the playing information storage means in such an order that the first tune information is followed by one of the plurality of pieces of second tune information, and an actuator which is manipulated during read out of the first tune information of the playing information from the playing information storage means by the playing information readout means. In this instance, the actuator is made up of a plurality of actuators respectively corresponding to the plural pieces of second tune information of the playing information stored in the playing information storage means. If one of the actuators is held in the ON state in the course of reading out the first tune information of the playing information, then that one of the pieces of second tune information which corresponds to the manipulated actuator is read out of the playing information storage means by the readout means, regardless of the time point of manipulation of the actuator, after the first tune information of the playing information was wholly or partly read out of the playing information storage means by the playing information readout means.
In the case of such a conventional automatic playing apparatus, by manipulating a selected one of the plurality of actuators in the course of readout of the first tune information of the playing information from the playing information storage means by the playing information readout means, it is possible to selectively read out of the playing information storage means that one of the pieces of second tune information which corresponds to the actuator now selectively manipulated.
With such an arrangement, the playing information read out of the playing information storage means can be reproduced into a musical sound free from musical discontinuity between reproduced sounds of the first and second tune information.
With the conventional automatic playing apparatus, however, it is necessary to select, through manipulation by an operator, one of the plurality of actuators during the readout of the first tune information of the playing information from the playing information storage means so that the musical sound reproduced from the playing information read out of the storage means is free from musical discontinuity between reproduced sounds of the first and second tune information. In this instance, there is a fear of the operator choosing a wrong actuator, and if the wrong actuator is chosen, then the musical sound reproduced from the playing information read out of the storage means will contain musical discontinuity between reproduced sounds of the first and second tune information.